


Neophytes

by SociallyUnacceptableOrb



Category: Hoshi no Kaabii | Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Backstory, Childhood Memories, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyUnacceptableOrb/pseuds/SociallyUnacceptableOrb
Summary: Maybe there's more to these warriors than just war.





	1. Training Day [META KNIGHT]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting off with Meta Knight backstory because Meta Knight backstory is what y'all are most familiar with... even if this isn't the typical Knightmare fare. Meta's about 4 years old in this part, so he doesn't quite understand how things work.

“Three, two, one…”  Sir Arthur drew back his bow and prepared to fire. Thin beads of sweat lay right above his brow as he steadied his stance with a determined glint in his eye. Pressure and a sharp tug on his arm stopped him dead in his tracks, and he looked down to see what had grabbed him. A tiny blue puffball had pulled his arm down before he could fire the bow. 

“¡Espera, Arthur!” cried the puffball. Every time he tried to raise it up or pull back, the little guy’s paw pushed down harder. “Puedo ayudarte.”

“Lyzander, it’s okay! I don’t need your… ah…”  Arthur stumbled on his words, trying to remember which order they went in. "No necesito… la ayuda, chico-"

The little prince said nothing else as he firmly pulled the bow out of Arthur’s hands and turned it right side up. Arthur’s jaw gently went slack, and he looked up to see one of the prince’s Heavy Knights gently laughing as she watched.

"Gracias." Arthur grumbled as took the bow from the child and repositioned himself.

“You’re welcome!” Lyzandre said.

The teenage knight drew back and released, the arrow missing the center of the target by a few centimeters; not perfect, but a lot better than he’d expected. Lyzandre clapped and giggled as Arthur flashed a triumphant grin. The Heavy Knight strode over and pulled the arrow from the target with an impressed whistle.

“Kit trained you well, kid.” She said with a nod. “But remember, you’re not showing off; you’re here to learn. Keep your back straight and your elbow pointed outwards. And you, Lyzandre. You’re here to learn as well. I’d like to see you fire a couple shots of your own.”

Lyzandre nodded and waddled over to his own weaponry.

"Heh, he's a cute little ankle-biter, y'know?" Arthur chuckled. "Do you guys have a word for that in your language?"

“Zapatito.” She replied with a snort.

“Ah, thank you! He’s an adorable little zapatito!”

The Heavy Knight’s snort turned into a full body cackle as the green knight stood there completely unaware of what was going on. Meanwhile, Lyzandre had gotten distracted by a butterfly and skipped after it with his bow on his back and quiver dragging behind him. He bounded away out of sight, scaling a tree to try and nab the insect on a high up branch.  Said butterfly gently landed on his forehead and then fluttered away just out of reach.

Lyzandre waved gently as he watched it fly off and then looked around at the forest beneath him. The canopy beautifully roofed the mossy ground, copious berry bushes and sparkling river beneath it. He contently sighed as he rested atop his perch.

The sudden rustling of leaves spooked him, and he gave a tiny squeak in fright. He fired once and then twice at the mystery monster he’d heard, missing it both times. The underbrush rustled again and this time, Lyzander was ready for whatever would burst forth. He pulled back and fired as it burst into view. It was a great big deer, with a massive set of golden antlers and silver fur.

The arrow arced down and struck it directly between the eyes. It staggered in place for only a second before tripping and collapsing on the forest floor. Lyzander scrambled down the tree as fast as he could, stopping a foot before it, unsure of how to react to what he’d just done. A panicked Arthur pursued by an equally panicked Heavy Knight had a bit of a better reaction once he’d caught up and stumbled upon the clearing with the two; He gaped for only a second, and then beamed brightly.

“All right, principito!” Arthur picked up the tiny blue puff and spun him around as he laughed. “You did it!”

The still giggling Lyzandre squirmed out of Arthur’s grip, running over to the body and looking down at it with a wide smile. It soon faded as he continued to stare at the unmoving deer, nudging it gently with a paw as the excitement wore off and realization set in.

“It’s dead.” He quietly said.

“Uh, yeah?” Arthur said as he walked over, grabbing the arrow and trying to pull it from the creature’s head. “That’s generally what happens when you shoot something!”

The arrow snapped in half, Arthur giving a short yelp in response. Lyzandre sat down and looked into the deer’s glassy eyes. He did not cry, but a few tears lingered on the rims of his eyes, only to be quickly rubbed away with his chubby arm. With looming guilt on her mind, Heavy Knight picked him up and began to carry him back to the main area.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s going to be alright,” she started. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Lyzandre. Killing the deer was exactly what you needed to do; it was… it was…”

“Malo?” He offered.

“Necessary,” The Heavy Knight elaborated. “It was necessary for you to kill it, as it is for all hunters. They fight and kill to keep their families safe and fed. It might not have been evil, but it was a necessary sacrifice, Lyzandre. Do you understand?”

Lyzandre buried his face deeper into the crook of her elbow.

“We are going back for the deer, right?” Arthur asked, running to catch up as he awkwardly fumbled with the splintered pieces of fletching in his arms. “Sure, we could just leave it there, but I don’t think they’d believe us without proof!”

“Tact was not a well-learned lesson in Avalon, was it, dear Wart?” She asked, the sour expression somehow evident behind her mask.

“Oi! Don’t call me that!” His face flushed red. “Bec’s your captain, isn’t he? I feel like you should know firsthand how much of a hardass he is. I mean, I’ve only been here for two days and he’s still all over me like moss on a stump!”

“Bec De Corbin kneels to the royals as much as I do. He’d unswervingly believe any feat of the prince’s we told him.” She jostled the melancholy puff in her arms. “But Lyzandre’s heart is too big for the rest of his body. Bec would give anything for him to be more like his father.”

“Bec’s not his dad?” Arthur asked. “I could’ve sworn-!”

“In another life, maybe. I’m his dreams, for certain.” She gave a gentle shrug. “If you ask me, all I think Lyzandre really needs is self-defense and the information to run the country right. He’ll make for a fine king when he’s older.”


	2. Meet The Parents [CAVALIER JACK]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride! Here's Jack's gay granddads!

Rainy season had ended on the less-than-peaceful Zap Star, and summer was in full swing. The Scarfies bounded through the mechanical forests, the dragonflies settled upon the reeds of the dark rivers, and the sun gently peeked over the mountain ridge surrounding the town. In the center of this tiny village was a modest house with an old couple on their porch, taking in the fine weather and enjoying each other’s company.

The first was Brawn, a dark-green southern boy with a gentle disposition and a deep accent. The second was Aulus, a lavender no-nonsense sort that had a protective streak going for a country mile. They lived with their teenaged grandson, having moved a few years ago from their decimated county to a rural area. It had taken some getting used to for the old-timers, but they were happy where they were.

Well, almost happy…

“That gutter’s not right.” Brawn stated, matter-of-factly.

“Hm?” Aulus looked over at his husband, snapping out of a daze brought on by the gentle breeze. “What’re you getting at?”

“It’s not right; it’s a little crooked,” Brawn clarified, pointing at the offending fixture. With a grunt he pulled himself up off his chair, picked up his cane, and started over to the edge of the porch. “I’ll have to go up there and fix it myself.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Aulus gently tugged him back by his coat. “We can always hire someone else to do it.”

Brawn crossed his arms with a pout. “I don’t like hiring people, though. And this is our house! I don’t wanna hire someone else to come mess it up.”

Aulus rolled his eyes. There was a hint of exhaustion in his voice as he responded. "Ain't this what you said yesterday about the flowerbeds? I swear, you're a handful."

"I'm your handful, darlin." Brawn said, taking Aulus' hand. He pulled it to his mouth and gave it a gentle kiss. “And don’t ya forget it.”

Aulus gave him a gentle half-smile before a loud thump emanated from inside the house, startling them both.

“What in Sam Hell’s going on here?!” Aulus bellowed. He practically ripped the door off its hinges trying to get back indoors and find the source of the sound.

His heart palpitations ceased when he saw it was only Jack, trying and failing to make breakfast. From what he’d gotten on the table: namely juices, tea, coffee, jams, fruit, cereal and toast, he’d done well. The smoldering lumps of breakfast sausage and what he could only assume was a charred-black piece of beef in the sink told a different story. Nevertheless, he was mostly glad he was unharmed, if not shaken up.

“Sorry, gramps! Couldn’t get the damn thing to turn on, just kept hissing…” Jack quickly switched the burners off, pulling the frying pan away and scraping the remnants onto a plate in the center of the table. “Hey, saved the eggs! But I think I’ll leave making country-fried steak to you, pops.”

Brawn gently pat his grandson on the shoulder. “That old range is a piece of junk, hon. Don’t beat yourself up over it.” He sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

“Can’t saying I’m complaining much, but what spurred you to do this?” Aulus asked, sitting down at the table as well and grabbing a plate. “You’re not thinking of taking off with the guild on another camping trip, are ya?”

“Nope. Nothing like that. It’s, uh…” Jack’s voice trailed off as he looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s about a girl, actually.”

“Oh, that’s great, Jack!” Brawn beamed, spreading jam over a slice of toast. “She doesn’t have to be too scared of us. What’s her name?”

“Her name’s Dolly. Sara’s sister.”

Aulus spat out his coffee and Brawn dropped his slice of toast. Both of them were quite aware of Sarissa’s sister, but their discovery wasn’t exactly the happiest moment. They’d first met Sarissa herself after Jack brought the small bawling girl back to them. From what they could decipher from her inelegant sobs and Jack’s guesswork, the girl was upset over ‘losing Dolly’ to an etiquette school in the city.

Both of them had been disgusted at the notion. What could possibly justify sending a literal child to a foreign place to be disciplined out of acting – NOVA forbid – childish? They’d brought her in, calmed her down, and had had a lovely day… until her father came asking if the couple had seen her. Brawn quickly escorted the children upstairs; his husband could curse up a storm harsh enough to leave anyone shaking in their boots, and he didn’t want the children around to witness the verbal (and potential physical) thrashing.

Sarissa had been a welcome friend to Jack and the couple, but her sister was a total stranger. They’d no idea how she’d even met Jack, or what she was like, but she was apparently kind enough to have won him over. The silence hung over the room like a cloud as everyone in it awkwardly stared at each other.

“And how long’s this been going on?” Brawn finally asked, picking his toast back up.

Upon hearing his grandfather’s voice, Jack’s eyes darted away from them as he nervously drummed his fingers on the table. “Three months, give or take. Look, I know what you’re thinking-!”

“That she might’ve retained a few of her parent’s… qualities?” Aulus took a long sip from his mug before he continued. “You’re not wrong.”

Brawn reached across the table and gently squeezed Aulus’ arm. “Aulus, give her a chance, you haven’t even seen her yet.”

“If you wanna get technical, he has.” Jack quipped, trying to ease out the tension. “They’re twins!”

That line got a laugh out of Aulus. Breakfast resumed as normal, Jack talking about bringing her home later in the day and wanting to make a good impression, Brawn ensuring him that they’d be on their best behavior, and Aulus avoiding the fact and asking about his squire work instead. After the meal had ended, Jack washed the dishes and headed out, leaving the two of them alone in the house to think. As Brawn dusted, Aulus sat on the couch, fiddling with the medallion around his neck and staring at the picture inside.

“He’s sixteen years old,” Brawn said, breaking the silence for the second time. “It’s perfectly fine for a boy like him to start looking for a guy or gal at that age.”

“Some uptown girl that we don’t know squat about’s a little more on my mind, Brawny. Not to say she’s bound to be some sorta priss, but… can’t say that most kids who go through that pressure turn out for the better.” He sighed deeply. “I just don’t trust like that.”

“Hey,” Brawn said softly, walking over to where Aulus sat and leaning over the couch. “I know how you feel about this. Y’felt the same way about Paloma and Skylark, I know. And heaven knows you gave that boy a run for his money.”

“You did, too,” Aulus mumbled. “Nearly shot him with an arrow because you thought he was a deer.”

“That was an accident, shug. He startled me,” Brawn defended. “But you meant every word of what you said. How you’d hunt him down if he ever broke her sweet little heart, how he’d better treat her right even when she ain’t there, how up ‘til he gave us Jack, you wouldn’t so much as humor the thought of him bein’ a daddy of his own before you showed him the ropes.”

There was a brief pause as Aulus mulled over the past. Admittedly, Jack took a lot after his mother, but he was his own man now. That was a hurdle he’d realized he hadn’t yet leapt.

“So,” he began. “You’re telling me to let it roll, then? Don’t be too harsh, take it as it comes?”

“Worth a shot.” Brawn said with a shrug.

Around one in the afternoon, Jack returned with a girl on the back of his cycle. After she’d taken off her helmet, the two of them could see Jack was half-right; Dolly was a near-spitting image of Sarissa. But her features were softer, her hair was longer, and she carried herself a lot less tense than her twin. Whatever the case, Brawn practically shot down the stairs to introduce himself, Dolly responding in kind with a big hug.

She’d definitely endeared herself to him with that alone; within a few moments, she had knelt down to his height and was listening to him talk to her like he’d known her for years. Aulus chuckled and school his head as he went down the porch’s steps. With Dolly still at eye level, he looked her straight in the face and asked her a simple question.

“And what are your intentions with my son?”

“Gramps!” Jack shouted, his face bright red.


End file.
